Door



Jan. 18, 194.4. E JACKSON 2,339,570

DOOR

Filed Oct. 5, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 18, 1944. 5 JACKSON 2,339,570

DOOR

Filed oat. s, 1941 s Sheets-Sheet 2 ea 1 4 I 'l 4 o.

M l/ 9'3 M01237 Willi/defiant Jan. 18, 1944. L. E. JACKSON DOOR Filed Oct. 3, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 uf/ffarnny Jan. 18, 1944. L. E. JACKSON DOOR Filed Oct. 3, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 151321115; 491ml. Jaw/5'50.

Jan. 18, 1944. JACKSON 0 2,339,570

DOOR

Filed Oct. 3, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 M62120? .{yrzzzZZ/kaksvrz.

Patented Jan. 18, 1944 DOOR Lynn E. Jackson, Lcs Angeles, Calif., assignor to Firguson Door and Awning 00., Los Angeles, Caliit, a corporation oi California Application October 3, 1941, Serial No. 413,470

2 Claims.

My invention relates to telescopic doors and is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial Number 384,686, filed March 22, 1941, entitled Door.

Various major problems have been experienced in providing doors for extremely large structures such as aircraft hangars and the like. Such doors must frequently span openings several hundred feet in width without any intermediate supporting columns and the extreme weight of such door structures not only creates serious operating problems but requires that a building be specially designed to support the added weight of such a door. Furthermore, in conventional doors, it has been found diflicult or impossible to obtain the necessary smooth, easy, uniform operation, and lack of uniform movement-causes jamming. A

still further shortcoming of existing doors for such uses resides in their lack of provision of means for taking a wind pressure without resultant damage to the structure.

It is therefore among the objects of my invention to provide a telescopic door for spanning unusually large openings; which does not require intermediate fixed posts or columns; which has novel and eflicient means for raising and lowering Fig. 9 is an enlarged plan section taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 10 is an enlargement of the area indicated *by dashed circle at M in Fig. '7, showing the connection of the panel lifting cables to the panels; and

Figs. 11 and 12 are enlarged cross and longitudinal sections, respectively, partly in elevation, showing floor anchors for the lowermost panel posts.

My improved door may be installed, for instance, against an existing building, the header structure, generally designated by the numeral 5, being secured by suitable brackets 6, 6a to the truss structure T of a building (not shown).

. In Fig. 1 of the drawings, I show what may be the telescopic panels; which provides effective counterbalancing of the movement of the panels;

which may be installed on an existing building come apparent from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment of my invention, for which purposesl shall refer to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic plan section on line l-i of Figs. 3, 5 and 6 showing part of a door;

Fig. 2 is an enlargement of the area indicated by dashed lines at 2 in Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 with the door closed;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of the upper portion of Fig. 3 with the door open;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line 1-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 1 with the door partly open;

Fig. 7 is a section on line '|-'I of Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 with the door partly open;

considered as half of a door. At each side of the door there is a hollow column 0, only one being here shown, but it will be understood that at the opposite side of the complete door a similar column would be provided. The door has four overlapping vertically slidable panels 8, 9, l0 and Ii, each panel being slidable with respect to the other panels, although of course any desired number of panels may be employed and each of the panels is shown as being comprised of horizontallydisposed sections. The respective sections of each panel are interconnected by means of posts P P P and P, said posts being of I- cross-section. Each panel is slidably mounted at its side edges in tracks l4 provided by oppositely disposed angle irons l5 secured to the outer face of the side wall of columns C (see Fig. 6).

. The posts P telescope with respect to each other and each has an upper extension E, E, E, E* projecting above the top of the panel to which it is secured and on that extension carries vertically spaced yokes Y Y Y Y As best shown in Fig. 9, each of the yokes carries rollers R. Each pair of rollers carried by yokes Y, Y, Y travels along tracks provided at opposite sides of the adjacent post, and the rollers carried by the yokes Y travel along tracks provided at opposite sides of I-shaped posts 2| to be described, all as more particularly described in my said copending application. Each post is mounted Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan section taken on line 8-8 of FIE-7;

' for the rollers.

The pairs of yokes Y and Y are spaced apart a relatively greater distance than are the yokes carried by the lower post extensions, so as to provide a relatively greater bight for the upper posts, to take care of the wind. pressure against the panels when in closed position (Fig. 3) and when moving between closed and telescoped position.

Referring now more particularly to the header structure 5, it comprises parallel spaced vertical posts l9 secured to the vertical members of the building truss T by the brackets 5, a and an outer parallel rectangular frame constituting a truss 20 consisting of vertical members 2!, Iongitudinal members 22 and diagonal braces 23. Cross members 25, 25 and diagonal members 21, connected at their inner ends to respective posts l9, brace truss 20 intermediate its ends, and the ends of the truss 29 are supported on the column 0, thus relieving the existing building structure of the majority of the vertical load. The header is mounted above the building opening for which the door is to provide a closure, inasmuch as, when telescoped, the panels rest within the header. The outer wall 30 is secured to frame 25; a roof 32 is supported on longitudinal members 33 and a side wall 35 is securedto longitudinal members 35.

So that'anv inward thrusts on the door panels may be transmitted to the building truss T, I provide for each vertical row of posts P P P, P a thrust frame 59 (see Figs. 3, 4 and 9) Each frame 45 consists of two horizontally spaced, parallel channel iron cross bars "a. At their front ends these bars are secured by cap screws 45b and plates c to the lower yoke Y carried by post extension E and at their opposite ends bars 40a are secured by cap screws 40d and plates We to spacing yoke Y which latter carries a pair of rollers R These rollers, as well as the rollers carried by the yoke Y at the opposite end of the frame 45, travel along the respective tracks 42 provided at the opposite sides of posts l9 and 25; oppositely disposed angle irons l5a being riveted to the opposite sides of posts l9 and 20 to prevent inward or outward play of the rollers.

These members 40 act to transmit to the existing building truss any inward thrusts on the door panels, such for instance as would be caused by wind pressure, and they also serve to prevent spreading apart of the panels when in telescoped position.

Longitudinal members support cross members 5|, which carry bearings 53 in which is journalled a drive shaft 55. A series of stepped cone pulleys 51 are secured on shaft 55. These pulleys are preferably equidistantly spaced apart to distribute the torque and each has four steps of relatively different diameters around which are wound the cables to be later described, there being six pulleys 51 shown in the half door here illustrated. It will be understood that the pulleys 51 may have a greater or lesser number of steps, depending upon the number of panels going to make up a door, there being a step for each panel. From the step of smallest diameter of each pulley, a cable 50 leads and is connected to the top edge of the uppermost panel 8; from the stepof next largest diameter of each pulley a cable 5| leads and is connected to the top edge of the next panel 9; from the step of third largest diameter of each pulley a cable 52 leads and is connected tothe top edge of the next panel l0; and from the step of largest diameter of each pulley a cable 53 leads and is connected to the top edge of the bottom panel H. Thus, as shaft 55 is rotated counterclockwise, the pulleys 51, by means of the cables, act to pull the respective panels upwardly at such progressively varying speeds as to cause all of the panels to reach the uppermost or telescoped position (Fig. 4) simultaneously. The number of pulleys 51 employed depends upon the width of the particular door-it being desirable to, so space them apart along the drive shaft as to cause the cables to effect a uniform pull on the panels throughout their width, thus preventing jamming. To adjust the length of the panel operating cables -63 (see Fig. 10), each cable is secured at its lower end in eye 55 of a bolt 65, which bolt passes through a hole provided in the channel member 58 secured along'the top edge of each panel. -Adjusting nuts 51 are threaded onto the bolt and the panel is cut away beneath channel 58 and the cut-away portion covered by'a plate 55. A hole 55a is provided in plate 55 to provide access to the bolt for adjusting purposes.

To rotate the drive shaft 55, I provide a worm drive W which is driven by a belt 55 from a reversible electric motor M, the worm W and motor M being mounted on cross members 25 and 5|, respectively.

I show three counterweight pulleys 59, 59a, 59b secured in spaced relation on shaft 55, the spacing being such as to properly distribute the torque. Shaft 55 extends at its ends into a column C (only one of which columns is shown in the drawings) and pulley 59 is within the column, at its top; a cable 19 being windable at one end about pulley 59. A counterweight II is suspended, from the opposite end of cable 19 within the column C and moves vertically therealong as the cable III is wound upon and unwound from pulley 59. Likewise a cable I2 is windable at one end about pulley 59a, and from the opposite end of the cable, within the column, there is suspended a counterweight 13, said weight being movable vertically along the column. As shown in Fig. 5, immediately after leaving pulley 59a, cable 12 passes around a sheave 12a and thence over sheaves 12b and 120, sheave 12a being mounted on a shaft 12d journalled in a hearing 12c carried by cross member 15. Sheave 12a is spaced considerably below pulley 59a so as to decrease the lead angle of the cable with respect to the pulley. A like cable 14 is windable about pulley 59b and passes over similarly mounted sheaves 14a, 14b and He, carrying at its opposite end a counterweight 15 which is likewise vertically movable along the column. Sheaves 12b, 120, 14b, 140 are mounted on shafts journalled in bearings carried by horizontal members 11 mounted on cross members 25'. While sheaves 14a and 15b ordinarily would not appear in the section of Fig. 5, since they appear to the right of that section line in Fig. 1, I have illustrated same in dot-dash lines in Fig. 5 to better illustrate their offset position with relation to sheaves 12a and 12b.

Longitudinally within the column C, I show three pairs of oppositely disposed ribs formed by T-irons secured to the inner side walls of the column to provide tracks or guideways for the counterweights ll, 13, I5. Angle irons 5| are secured vertically along the sides of the counterweights in opposed spaced relationship so that the ribs 80 may extend therebetweeu to insure that the counterweights in their vertical travel will move in a straight line. Each counterweight should be of substantially the same weight as the weight of the panel unit suspended from the opposite end of the cable and the cables are of course wound on the counterweight pulleys in a direction opposite to the wind of the cables about the pulleys 51.

In a large door of this character serious difllculties result from binding and jammingdue to uneven operation, unless means are provided to insure positive uniformity of operation. For inv stance, if the efiective diameter of one or more of the steps of pulleys 51 or the counterweight pulleys is made larger than it is intended to be by virtue of the cable piling up thereon, obviously an uneven operation results which might act to jam the panels. I therefore provide means for positively preventing such piling up, which means consists of making each step of the pulleys 51 as well as each of the counterweight pulleys of suflicient width to take the full wind of the cable without piling up, and I spirally groove each of the pulleys as shown at 85 and each of the counterweight pulleys as shown at 86. The cables 60, SI, 62 and 63 are connected to the respective panels at such point as to extend angularly towards the first groove at the left hand end of each step (see full line position of cables in Fig. '7) so that as the pulleys turn to wind the cables this angular disposition of the cable positively causes the cables to follow the grooves until the cables are vertically disposed (see dot-dash line position of Fig. 9), preventing piling up on the pulleys.

To anchor the posts P to the floor F, whereby to prevent lateral movement when the door is closed, I provide each of said posts with a depending projection 90 having a bifurcated end 80a in which a roller 9| is mounted on pin 92, a plate 93 being interposed between the lower end of the post and the top or projection 90 large enough to cover a hole 95 provided in the floor F. The side walls of hole 95 are outwardly and upwardly flared so that as the roller moves downwardly in the hole it centers itself.

The operation of my door in moving from the telescoped position of Fig. 4 to the closed position of Fig. 3 isas follows: Motor M is operated to rotate shaft 55 clockwise, as viewed in these figures, to unwind the cables from pulleys 51 and to wind the cables upon counterweight pulleys 59, 59a, 59b, thus lowering the panel units and raising the counterweights. Since the door panels are fully counterbalanced by the counterweights, the motor need only overcome the inertia and frictional resistance of the moving parts. Accordingly, the door may be operated by a comparatively small, low-powered motor. In the course of this movement the thrust frames 40 move downward from the position of Fig. 4 to the position of Fig. 3. For movement in the opposite direction. the motor M is reversed to wind the cables ill-8| about pulleys 51, causing the panels to move upwardly at progressively varying speeds. The top edge of panel 8 abuts the bottom side edge or cross bars 400 vand therefore as panel 8 moves upwardly from the position of Fig. 3 to the position of Fig. 4 those cross bars are correspondingly moved. In the position of Fig. 4 the entire panel units are held one behind the other above the plane of the doorway, thus leaving the doorway entirely unobstructed.

While I have resorted to considerable detail for the purpose of making my invention understood, I wish it understood that within the broader scope of my invention, as defined by the appended claims, various modifications and adaptations may be made without departing from the spirit or the invention.

I claim:

1. A closure for a doorway including a header presenting a vertically disposed track, slidabie closure panels, means suspending said panels from the header in overlapping relationship, a top guide post carried by the top panel and having an extension projecting above said panel, a pair of vertically spaced guide rollers carried by said extension and engaging said track whereby to move therealong, vertical guide posts carried one by each of the lower panels and each having an upper extension projecting above the panel on which it is carried and a pair of vertically spaced guide rollers carried by each of the last-mentioned extensions, each pair or said rollguide posts.

2. A closure for a doorway including a header presenting a vertically disposed track, a pair of slidabie closure panels, means suspending the panels from the header in overlapping relationship, a vertical guide post carried by the uppermost of the panels and having an extension projecting thereabove, a vertical guide post carried by the other panel and having an extension projecting thereabove, a pair of guide pulleys spaced apart longitudinally of the first-mentioned guide post extension and movably engaging the track and a pair of guide pulleys spaced apart longitudinally of the second-mentioned guide post and movably engaging the first-mentioned guide post, the guide pulleys carried by the extension or the uppermost guide post being spaced apart a relatively greater distance than the spacing of the guide pulleys carried by the other post.

LYNN E. JACKSON. 

